Senegal Possible bloated?

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B

Bue

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 17, 2009
113
0
0
Tucson, AZ
I suspect my senegal of bloat- but I don't think it is bloat and am not exactly sure what's wrong.
I came home today and looked at my tank. My bichir has an odd ball-shaped bulge in his body just behind his pectoral fins. It looks like he just ate a large amount, but I haven't fed him today. I fed him some brine shrimp 2 days ago, which his tank mates had their share of, so he can't be that full from the shrimp. He opens his mouth every once in a while like he does when he is eating a piece of krill and he is trying to swallow it completely. I did a head count and all the tank mates are accounted for. I know he didn't swallow a rock because I have flourite substrate (little tiny clay beads). ???? I have no idea what's goin on.
I have included a picture, but its a little hard to make out.
I have read on other sites about abdominal swelling in bichirs, and the suggested treatment was Metronidazole, as is the suggested treatment for dropsy/bloat. I have reservations, however, because a) the swelling isn't nearly as bad as the abdominal swelling on the other site and b) on the bloat forum, they say it is caused by excess bacteria in a dirty tank, but I JUST did a ~30% water change two days ago- before the swelling.

I am probably over-thinking it, but I just don't want to give a treatment if I am not entirely sure what I am treating. Plus the treatment uses salt, which I have read you shouldn't use in tanks with live plants. My whole aquarium is planted. ....

My bichir is behaving normally-except for the swelling- and the lump seems to have moved sightly further back within the past few hours.

Any info, similar symptom stories, or conclusions will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
 
He's about 8" in a 40gal breeder with basic out of tank filter. I have a ~5" pleco and just recently (3 days) added 3 yo yo loaches. All of the fish are accounted for and are getting along. The only thing else in there to eat would be tiny snails (hence the new yo yo's) or plants. Do you think he would eat the empty snail shells? Maybe for some mineral he is lacking?
 
bueswelling.jpg
 
plecos and bichirs do not mix
 
Def get rid of the plec, it can give your bichir an infection. As for the bloat, I've never experienced it and I've had one for about a month now, about the same size. Hope its nothing bad, bichirs are fun
 
Uh-Oh. I had NO IDEA the pleco would do that!? That's not very neighborly at all. Hmmm.... they are buddies though and play together on occassion. Oh well, I am not very attached to the pleco, I just took him off my friend b/c he outgrew her tank and I had plenty of room in mine. He's not that great of an alge-eater anyway (golden barbs are WAY better). Well thanks for that piece of information.

On another note, my bichir's lump is still there. It has migrated further down his body though. I hope it is something digestable that he ate, and it is simple working its way through his track (like Darth suggested).

I still don't know what he could have eaten in such a large amount.....

Thanks for the info guys :)
 
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